The United States

The United States

The American People

 308,745,538 residents in 2010

 Third largest nation in the world

 “A nation of nations”
The Native Americans

 Came from Asia 40,000

years ago

 10 million Native
Americans in the 15th
century

 Today: 0.8% of the

total population (2.5
million)
The Native Americans
 Western states:  Major problems:
California, - poverty
Oklahoma, Arizona,
-unemployment
New Mexico

 1/3 on reservations
 others mostly in
cities
The British

 13 % of population

 Started settling in 1600s

 British culture was the

foundation on which
America was built
African-Americans
 12% of population

 1620-1820: 8 million
slaves brought from
Africa

 200 years of slavery

 100 years of
segregation
African-Americans

 Major problem:
poverty and its bad
effects

 South, cities of the

Northwest and
Midwest
Immigrants from Northern and
Western Europe

 Immigration began in the

1820s

 Reason: to escape poverty,

war, discrimination

 Immigrants from Germany

(17%), the UK (13%),
Ireland (11.9%), Scandinavia
(3.9%)

 Midwest
Immigrants from Southern and
Eastern Europe
 1870s – 1930s; after
1960s

 Reason: poverty and

discrimination

 Immigrants from Italy

(5.6%), Greece, Poland,
Russia
Serbian Americans

 170,000

 Chicago – the Serbian

stronghold in America

 1893 – the first Serbian

parade in Chicago
Hispanic Americans
 15,8% of total population

 3 main groups:
- Mexican Americans (Texas
and California)
- Puerto Ricans (New York)
- Cuban Americans (Florida)

 The fastest growing group of

immigrants
Asian Americans

 5% of population

 Since 1960s

 California, Hawaii,
New York and Texas
Melting Pot vs. Mosaic
 Melting pot –
immigrants should
adopt American
culture

 Mosaic – America’s
strength lies in its
diversity
The Political System

 Indirect democracy
– people rule through
representatives they
elect
The Constitution

 The supreme law of

the USA

 Written in 1787

 Amendments
Three Branches of Government

 system of checks and balances

Legislative branch – makes laws

Congress

The House of
The Senate
Representatives (100 senators)
(435 representatives)
Executive branch – administers the
laws

President

Vice President

Cabinet, executive departments and agencies

President of the USA

 Donald Trump

 Since January 2017

Vice President of the USA

 Mike Pence
Secretary of State

 Mike Pompeo
Judicial branch – interprets laws
Federalism

 Each individual state has its own government

 There is also federal, or national, government
State and local government

 Each state has its own constitution

 State governments are also divided into legislative,

executive and judicial branches

 The leader of a state is the governor

 Below the state level: county and city governments

Two-Party System

 Republican party
(upper-class,
conservative)

 Democratic party
(working class, liberal)
 Economy
 Free enterprise
system: private
businesses compete
against one another
with relatively little
interference from the
government
Religion
 Separation of church
and state
 No official religion
Christian
Non-Christian (Jewish, Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu)
Non-religious
Refused to answer

 Christians – 76%
 Other – 5.5%
 Non-religious – 15%